Clarissa stammered, "I..."

She paused for a second, then finally said slowly, "I don't think so. This is actually pretty okay. I mean, sure, you're kinda sarcastic sometimes, but you're capable, and... well, you'd probably make a great husband."

Elian lowered his gaze and chuckled softly.

Then he suddenly asked, "Great as a husband... or something else?" He leaned in close, voice sultry and warm against her ear, the heat from his breath making her earlobe feel like it was burning.

He murmured, "Or as the father of your kid?"

Clarissa's breath hitched, heart skipping a beat. His voice was way too gentle-it sent ripples through her like someone had dropped a pebble into her chest, stirring everything up inside.

Truthfully, that thought had crossed her mind, but it felt too early to say it out loud. There were just too many unknowns about the future... What if he ended up falling for someone else? Then wouldn't he be someone else's-

Elian still had his head tilted, staying right beside her ear. He added, "I'm not the type to cheat. So unless something major happens, this'll probably be my one and only marriage."

Even his laugh sounded like it was teasing her ears, but Clarissa just stood there, kind of dazed.

It wasn't until Elian walked over and opened the car door for her, saying, "Come on, let's eat, Mrs. Langley," that she snapped out of it.

Her fingers were still tightly gripping the hem of her jacket, heart stuck on what he'd just said-

This'll probably be my one and only marriage...

She looked out the car window at him, then picked up her purse to follow. But the second she stepped out, her legs wobbled a bit and everything kind of spun.

She thought she was going to fall, but Elian caught her just in time, one arm steady around her waist.

She held onto his arm for a moment, taking a breath to steady herself.

"What?" he teased, his voice smooth with a lazy kind of amusement, "Was I really that moving just now? You're about to throw yourself at me to prove your undying love?"

For some reason, those words brought up the image of Sebastian in her mind.

Clarissa looked up at him and asked, "Do you say that kind of crap to other people too?"

Letting go of his hand, she walked toward the restaurant.

She wasn't even sure why, but something about that "throw yourself at" line rubbed her the wrong way.

"Clarissa, are you that desperate to throw yourself at me?"

"If you had an ounce of dignity, you'd stop clinging to me."

"Stop spreading lies to my family. I feel nothing for you. If you're that eager, go throw yourself at someone else-maybe they'll pay better than my parents."

"Clarissa, your constant throwing yourself at me is just disgusting."

...

All those chaotic thoughts flooded her mind at once.

Elian caught up just as they reached the restaurant entrance and gently grabbed her hand. His eyes softened when he noticed the flush at her lash line, the shimmer caught in the tips of her curled lashes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, don't cry," he said, voice low and full of concern.

Clarissa pulled her hand back, her voice catching as she said, "I've never thrown myself at anyone."

That's when Elian finally realized what his words had triggered. He reached out like he wanted to hold her again, then hesitated, worried she'd pull away once more. So he bent slightly to meet her gaze, speaking softly.

"I get it. Hey... are you hungry? Let's go eat, alright?"

His voice was deep but calm, carefully chosen word by word. There was no frustration, no annoyance in it.

Clarissa stood there a few beats longer, then pulled a small pack of tissues from her purse and dabbed away her tears gently.

Once she felt a little more composed, she glanced up at Elian.

Maybe... she had overreacted a little.

This really had nothing to do with Elian. He wasn't obligated to sit through her emotional swings, let alone take on the weight of them.

Clarissa reached out and lightly tugged at his sleeve.

"Sorry... I kind of took it out on you just now."

Elian simply lifted a hand, his slender fingers gently tapping between her brows. The touch was cool, feather-light, and his voice came out soft and breezy.

"It's fine. Let's go eat."

Without missing a beat, he caught her wrist and led her inside.

He picked a small private room. The air throughout the restaurant was filled with the spicy, numbing aroma of pepper.

"This place is pretty famous for its Creole dishes. Since you like spicy food, you'll probably enjoy it."

Clarissa poured him a glass of water. "And you? You like spicy too?"

Elian nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Clarissa pulled out her phone and checked her reflection in the screen, quietly wondering if she'd messed up her makeup earlier.

"I'll just run to the restroom real quick," she said, standing up.

She left her phone facedown on the table, grabbed her clutch, and walked out.

A while later, there was a knock on the door as the waitstaff came in with the food. Someone at the entrance shot a fleeting glance inside.

Once the waiter left, another knock came, followed by someone entering. Elian glanced up, assuming it was Clarissa again-but instead, it was someone else.

"Liam?" He blinked.

Liam gave a warm smile. "Small world, Mr. Langley. I'd heard you were back, hadn't had a chance to say hi yet. Didn't expect to bump into you here."

Elian casually flipped his phone over on the table, still smiling. "Yeah, what are the odds. But hey, we went to uni together, no need for all the 'Mr. Langley' formality. Just call me Elian."

Liam hadn't really expected that. They weren't exactly close in school-same school, not the same classes-so it wasn't like they were old buddies or anything.

"So, what brings you here today?"

"Dinner with my wife."

Wife? That clicked something in Liam's mind-he'd just seen Elian's wedding post on his feed yesterday.

He gave a faint chuckle, those charming eyes narrowing slightly. "Then I won't interrupt. Let's catch up properly another time."

As he stood, his gaze briefly landed on the phone with a familiar-looking case.

Seeing Liam eye Clarissa's phone, Elian casually replied, "Next time for sure."

After Liam stepped out, Elian flipped the phone over again and quietly tapped the pause button.

It had become a habit over the years-recording his conversations with people he wasn't too familiar with.

Maybe it was just a reflex.

Moments later, Clarissa stepped back into the room. She'd thought she'd seen someone leave a second earlier, but it was too far to see clearly.

The silhouette felt familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Was someone here just now?" she asked, glancing curiously at Elian.

"Yeah," he answered casually. "It was Liam. You know him, right?"

Clarissa froze for half a second at the name, but quickly pulled herself together.

"Liam was here? That's unexpected."

Elian gave a small laugh. "Just ran into him, I guess."

Then, he picked up a small piece of fish soaked in broth and dropped it into her bowl.

She looked at him again. "Did you two talk about anything?"

He shook his head. "Just a bit of small talk. I only mentioned I was having dinner with my wife. He did seem to notice your phone case on the table before he left."

"You think he recognized it?"

Elian set his fork down and let out a quiet sigh. His lips lifted in a faint smile, but somehow, he still looked a little downhearted.

"Clarissa, is being my wife something worth hiding?"

Is it that hard for you to be okay with people knowing?

Or... is it about keeping it from people around Sebastian?

Clarissa shook her head quickly and rushed to explain. "No, it's not like that. It just felt so sudden-I didn't want people talking about us. It's not that I don't want anyone to know."

Still, that question from Elian... it carried a hint of doubt.

After Clarissa explained, Elian just said, "He probably didn't recognize you."

If Liam had figured it out, he would've definitely said something, at least thrown a question out there. But he stayed quiet.

As they were about to finish eating, Elian casually asked, "Want to pack up the leftovers?"

Clarissa had just been about to call the waiter over, but since he asked, she simply nodded.

She looked up and asked softly, "How'd you know I always like taking leftovers home when I eat out?"

In her memory, she couldn't recall ever eating alone with Elian before. Even when they did bump into each other at meals, it was usually some big group thing with classmates.

He paused mid-reach for his glass, took a sip of water and cleared his throat before replying, "Got used to it abroad."

Taking leftovers was normal overseas?

Was life that tight for him back then?

Clarissa remembered that during high school, Elian had lived quite comfortably. Even when they hit senior year and he wasn't spending as lavishly, he'd still swing by with a bubble tea for her once in a while.

She didn't press him further. To Clarissa, everyone has their own past-no need to dig.

Just before stepping inside home, her phone rang. She glanced down-it was Grandpa.

She turned to Elian. "Grandpa's calling. You go on in first."

She stopped at the front door, turning away slightly and picked up the call.

Elian pushed the door open and went in, leaving it ajar behind him.

"Grandpa."

The voice on the other end sounded worn and tired. Clarissa thought for a second-it'd probably been two months since her last visit.

"Ah, when are you coming home for dinner, sweetheart?"

Clarissa was about to say she'd find some time in the next few days, but then remembered she'd just talked with Mrs. Hamilton. Now, Grandpa was calling right after? Yeah, this wasn't just a casual chat.

"Grandpa, is there something on your mind?"

There was a short pause. Then he sighed and said,

"I heard you and Sebastian are having problems? It's normal for couples your age to argue, you know. As long as-"

"Grandpa!" Clarissa's tone went sharp, cutting him off instantly.

He hadn't expected her to get so worked up.

Clarissa realized she'd snapped. She sighed and softened her voice, "Sorry, Grandpa. But there's no way I'll ever get back with Sebastian. I know you think the world of him and the Hamiltons, that you believe they treat me like one of their own. But Grandpa, it's not like that. You don't know how he really sees me-he can't stand me. Just talking to me makes his skin crawl. How am I supposed to be with someone like that?"

"And now that he's got a girlfriend, if I still hovered around, I'd just be the side chick."

"Besides... I'm already married."

To put an end to Grandpa's hopes, she said it outright. She hadn't planned to spill it so soon, but thinking about the beach, about Sebastian kissing Aria like they had no care in the world, and then calling her afterward pretending he was committed-it just made her sick.

Sebastian was scary two-faced. In public, he was all cold and untouchable. But at her family's place, he always smiled, polite and well-spoken. Grandpa liked him a lot because of that.

He kept thinking Sebastian truly cared about Clarissa.

Throw in his spotless public image and successful career, and Grandpa saw him as the perfect man-ideal boyfriend, ideal husband material.

But Clarissa saw through it. If he didn't like her, then pretending in front of family was just that-an act.On the other end of the line, Grandpa's voice trembled a bit, followed by a string of heavy sighs.

In the end, he just said, "Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. Bring that person back to meet me."

Clarissa knew exactly who "that person" was-Elian.

She answered lightly, "Got it."

*****

After hanging up, she didn't go inside right away. She still hadn't figured out how to bring it up with Elian-asking him to come with her to meet her family just like that felt a little out of the blue.

Still, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Elian would probably agree.

If he ever needed her to meet his family too, she'd totally go with him.

She found herself feeling unexpectedly nervous at the thought. Would his parents like her?

Just as she was about to reach out and unlock the door, she noticed it wasn't closed-left ajar on purpose, it seemed.

That tiny detail warmed her heart a bit.

Elian wasn't in the living room. She headed into the kitchen, made a cup of tea, then walked softly to his study and gave the door a gentle knock.

Only after hearing his response did she open the door.

She placed the cup of tea down beside him. The fresh green leaves unfurled slowly in the steaming water, the rising mist wrapping them in warmth.

Elian eyed the tea, a flicker of emotion passing through him. Still, he asked, "You came just to bring tea?"

Translation: What do you need from me?

Clarissa awkwardly touched the tip of her nose, a guilty look in her eyes.

"Um... would you come with me to the Beckett house this weekend? Grandpa wants to meet you."

There was a hint of hopefulness in her eyes as she looked up at him.

His dark eyes didn't show much, and just as she was wondering if she should try to persuade him harder, he surprised her with a question.

"You told your grandfather about us?"

She nodded slowly, caught off guard. She was expecting a refusal-not that.

And then he smiled.

The sound of his laugh was like wind chimes in summer-light and calming.

"Sure, I'll go with you."

Clarissa's face lit up. "Thank you."

He shook his head and reached out to ruffle her hair gently.

"As your husband, meeting your family is kind of what I signed up for, isn't it?"

His voice was soft and calming, like it brushed right past the heart.

They'd known each other for so long, yet she still didn't fully understand who the real him was.

Her cheeks flushed lightly.

It took her a bit to steady her heartbeat before she spoke again.

"I mean... if you ever need someone to meet your folks too, I'd come with you. No problem."

At that, Elian went quiet for a beat-his gaze shifted slightly and his hand stopped mid-stir.

Then he said, with a soft voice, "My family's overseas. Maybe one day."

Clarissa knew that bit-it was common knowledge that Elian's family was abroad. Back in school, the rumor mill was full of talk that he was the heir of some foreign rich family and had gone abroad for college to take over the family business.

But up to now, she hadn't seen him laying claim to any massive inheritance.

Instead, he was quietly running his own biotech company.

She'd heard bits and pieces about him, but nothing felt entirely true-except the man in front of her.

She stayed in the study a little longer before heading back to her room.

As she closed the door behind her, Elian picked up the cup of tea and took a sip.

It had a faint bitterness, but as it lingered, it turned delicately sweet.

He slid open the top drawer on his left. Inside was an old photo of a woman.

He gently traced her face with his finger, his voice soft and tinged with longing.

"Mom, I'll bring her to meet you someday. I think you'd like her."

Clarissa woke up early on the weekend. While changing, she casually paired a tie with Elian's suit and laid them out. It just felt like the sort of thing a wife would do.

Today marked exactly one week since they got their marriage certificate.

She could still clearly remember what Elian had said that day - he'd give her a week to get ready.

So... did he really mean tonight?

Clarissa's thoughts drifted until someone gently took the ladle out of her hand.

"What's got you zoning out like that? The porridge is about to burn."

Elian had come up behind her and quickly switched off the stove, passing her to take over stirring.

That's when she finally caught the faint burnt smell.

She turned to see his profile - as striking as ever. Maybe he'd rushed a bit; the top button of his shirt wasn't done properly, and the tie just hung loosely around his neck.

After cleaning up a bit, Elian headed to the fridge and pulled out more ingredients.

"I'll make breakfast. Why don't you go relax for a bit?"

His hands moved swiftly as he worked, eyes on what he was doing. Clarissa didn't move. Instead, she called his name softly.

"Elian."

His hands paused mid-action. He set the ingredients aside and looked at her. "Yeah?"

She stepped closer, tilted her head slightly, took the tie off his neck, and began fixing the misaligned buttons on his shirt, straightening the collar with care.

It dawned on Elian what she was doing, and he leaned down a bit.

Clarissa, caught off guard, bumped her nose gently into his chin, her fingertips brushing lightly over his Adam's apple as she adjusted the tie into place.

"You buttoned this wrong," she murmured once she was done.

The outfit he had on - well, it was the one she'd picked. The tie even matched the color of her dress, making them look like a perfectly coordinated couple.

Maybe her grandpa would be happy seeing them like that.

"Oh. Okay," Elian replied, momentarily stunned. Clarissa gave a small smile, turned, and was about to leave the kitchen when he spoke again, back still facing her.

"Hey... the outfit you picked today looks great."

He had to admit, catching sight of the carefully arranged clothes in the dressing room earlier had somehow made him feel weirdly... happy. Probably the most cheerful he'd ever felt in the morning.

Clarissa didn't respond or turn around. She missed the slight blush on his ears as she softly replied, "It's the least I could do."

Then she walked out. Elian paused for a beat, then sighed lightly.

After breakfast, Clarissa suddenly remembered they should bring something over when visiting her family.

But before she could say anything, she saw Elian at the car, arranging things in the trunk. Peeking over, she saw it was packed with gifts.

"You got all this?" she asked, raising her brows.

He closed the trunk casually and nodded. "First time visiting your family. Isn't that kind of expected?"

The way he raised an eyebrow made it seem totally natural.

"Ready to go?"

Clarissa nodded and got in, carefully fastening her seatbelt.

Just as Elian got into the driver's seat, her phone buzzed.

It was Natalie.

[I'm coming back next week! Shouldn't the newlyweds treat me to dinner?]

Clarissa chuckled softly.

Even just reading the message made it easy to picture Natalie's excited face. Over all these years, Natalie had been her reliable emotional anchor. No matter what heartbreak she'd suffered over Sebastian, she'd always found comfort with Natalie.

[Sure.] She replied quickly.

As Elian clicked his seatbelt into place, he glanced her way. She looked like she was replying to someone happily, eyebrows arched, smiling faintly.

His hand hovered over the buckle for a second.

"What's got you so smiley over there?"His tone was a bit casual when he asked.

Clarissa looked up, a soft smile still lingering in her eyes. A few strands of her wavy hair brushed over the corner of her lips.

She said quietly, "Natalie messaged me. She's coming back next week. We are planning to have a meal together."

Elian's fingers relaxed slightly. His throat felt a bit dry, so he swallowed and asked, "We're going together?"

"Huh?" Clarissa hadn't expected that question, but she answered right away, "Yeah, Nat said since we just got married, we should treat everyone."

Her phone screen was still lit, displaying Natalie's message: [Bring Mr. Langley, too! Newlyweds have to host a dinner!]

Maybe it was that one word-newlyweds-that made something stir faintly in Elian's chest.

He smiled, lips pressed together, and said, "Sure, just let me know in advance, I'll book the restaurant."

Clarissa kept her head down, still typing. [Okay,] she replied absentmindedly.

Just as she was about to ask Natalie what she wanted to eat, another message popped up.

[Sebastian and Aria seem to be back from vacation. Don't go soft when you see them.]

Clarissa's fingers paused on the keyboard. After a second, she typed her reply.

[I don't like him anymore. If they're getting married, Elian and might prepare a gift.]

She wasn't pretending she didn't care-she really didn't.

She'd known Sebastian for over ten years. At first she thought what she felt for him was love, just because they'd grown up together.

But whatever they had faded fast once Aria came into the picture.

After that, it was mostly about keeping up appearances for the Hamiltons' sake and honoring her grandfather's wishes.

She never actually believed she'd end up marrying someone she truly loved.

She had long stopped expecting anything from marriage.

But then came Elian-unexpected, and somehow, everything started to shift.

She was someone who meant what she said.

She said she was over Sebastian, and she was. Really and truly.

Now that he was back, it felt like the right time to give that whole chapter a proper close.

Just then, her phone buzzed again, snapping her out of her thoughts.

[Good! That's the spirit! But honestly, I don't think Aria's getting into the Hamilton family. She's the type you date for fun, not marry. She brings nothing to the table.]

Whether he married Aria or not wasn't her concern anymore.

But Natalie wasn't entirely wrong. Sure, the Beckett family's influence had waned, but some of their businesses were still run by professional managers under her grandfather's watch.

If she had married into the Hamiltons, that alone could've been a major boost to them-both financially and socially.

Maybe that was why Sebastian kept up the whole lovesick act in front of others.

The Hamilton family wasn't exactly top-tier elite. Sebastian knew perfectly well that a well-matched marriage could take his family businesses up another level.

And Aria? No background, just pretty. That's not enough to marry into a family like that.

Funny. Clarissa hadn't felt this clear-headed about all of it until now.

Seriously, why had she ever thought Aria could outdo her?

She glanced sideways at Elian.

One hand lightly on the wheel, his other arm resting casually. His face, angled slightly toward the light, had that sharp, clean look-almost glowing around the edges.

"Elian," she asked softly, "if I weren't part of the Beckett family, had none of the background-would you still have agreed to marry me?"

Elian let out a short laugh, gently tapped the brakes, and when the light turned red, he tilted his head slightly to glance at her.

"So what, you think I married you to strike gold?"

Clarissa paused-his words caught her off guard.

It did sound a bit ridiculous. Elian, with everything he had now-his empire probably even bigger than Sebastian's. Why would he need her family's money...She changed the subject. "Then why did you say yes?"